Chuck vs The Fake Family
by Charahfan44
Summary: When the CIA's top spies have to work together to bring down an underground organization, they find a little more than they bargained for. I DO NOT OWN CHUCK.
1. The Competition

**A/N: I first started this story three years ago, which seems like a lifetime now that it's passed. I am currently at the end of a Chuck rewatch, and it's really messing with my emotions. I wanted to revamp this story a little bit, because I really did like my idea. I have such a hard time with the descriptive portions of my stories, and I thrive on the dialogue. I'm trying my best to work on that! It's been such a long time since I've written, but I want to get back into it. So for those of you who followed this one previously, here's a cleaner version.**

**For those of you still following Chuck vs The Story, I'm working on it. I truthfully hated how I wrote a lot of it, and I'm thinking about changing that one up a bunch. We'll see how I feel after I end this rewatch completely! Thank you all for sticking around and letting me know how you're feeling about my stories. I didn't realize how many of you there were!**

**Enjoy this "reboot".**

**-Charahfan44**

* * *

**Moscow, Russia - 2015**

Agent Charles Carmichael woke up earlier than he was used to. He had just completed a mission in Moscow, and needed to report back to the CIA headquarters in Langely as soon as possible. Even though he had been in the foreign country for work, he still managed to have fun. He was known as the charmer, picking up women anywhere he went. His looks weren't exactly rugged, but more smooth. He used the warmth of his chocolate brown eyes to enchant any woman he met.

"Agent Carmichael." Director Graham appeared on the television screen in front of Chuck's bed. "Great work yesterday." He nodded.

"Thank you," Chuck nodded back, "Anatoly Petrov may have been the one to start World War Three, I couldn't let him get away with the weapons deals."

"Which is exactly why we sent you."

"I'm sure Agent Walker wasn't happy." Chuck smirked. He and the blonde bombshell were sworn enemies. Both of them had the top ranking in the CIA, completing the same number of missions, and putting multiple bad guys behind bars. They both wanted to be the best, and it made for a tough competition.

"She had her own mission." Graham replied. "She captured Zoran Brankovich."

"The Serbian arms dealer I've been tracking?"

"The information you've obtained over the past four years was instrumental in her success."

"But that capture was supposed to be mine!" Chuck raised his voice. "I'm sorry, sir, but I put a lot into his downfall. And you let my competition have him after I set it up so nicely?"

"We needed you here in Moscow to take down Petrov's organization. You know the way the game is played, Agent Carmichael. You go where you're told, and when." Graham gave his top agent a warning look.

"Yes sir." Chuck grumbled.

"I'll debrief you on your next mission once you arrive back in Virginia." Graham ended the call with a click, leaving Chuck to stare at a blank television. He sighed, packing up what few things he had brought with him. The organization had a way of making him feel like the best and the worst at the same time. He took his private car to the airport, staring out the window along the way. He never had much time to see the places he was sent. It was one mission after another, with no personal time. The private jet to Virginia was longer than he wanted it to be, but he slept through most of it anyway. Working alone was his forte, as he didn't want to have to worry about anyone else. But on this particular flight, he felt a slight pang of loneliness for the first time in his life. He got back to headquarters just as they started their new work day.

"Agent Carmichael, good to see you." The receptionist smiled.

"Good job in Russia, Agent Carmichael." A fellow agent nodded to Chuck as he walked down the hallway to Graham's office.

"Hey, Carmichael, way to take down Petrov!" Another agent clapped him on the back. He nodded politely to each person who congratulated him, not wanting to seem pompous.

"Carmichael, how good of you to join us." Graham was already briefing someone else as Chuck walked into the office. He looked to the chair in front of Graham's desk, noticing a head of blonde hair.

"You really should think about a new jet." Sarah Walker turned around, looking up at Chuck with an evil grin. They had fun messing with each other, though neither one would admit it.

"The one I have is fine, thanks. I left late." He sat in the chair beside Sarah's, trying to play his slowness off. "Sir, why are we both here?"

"I'm glad you asked, Chuck." The Director smiled. "We're sending you both to Burbank, California." He said.

"Both of us?" Chuck and Sarah asked in tandem.

"We've decided that putting our top two agents together will bring us better results for this particular mission." Graham stated. "We have intel that a new underground organization is taking shape. They're targeting new agents, trying to turn them or torture them for anything they know."

"Because agents fresh out of The Academy are weak." Chucks scoffed. "Back when I was in The Academy, newly badged agents were feared."

"Yeah, because they saw my evaluation scores." Sarah blurted. "The highest in history."

"This isn't a competition." Graham raised an eyebrow. "This is a serious ordeal. We need to take The Circle down quietly and without anyone finding out they were there in the first place. This could cause a lot of trouble for a lot of the higher ups."

"Be discreet." Chuck nodded.

"I still don't get why us working together will bring any more success than us working alone." Sarah frowned. "My best kills have come from stealth combat."

"The leaders of The Circle are believed to be recruiting new members of their own, at a private school in Burbank. Many of the agents are posing as parents or teachers." Graham explained.

"So we're double agents?" Sarah asked.

"We need you two to present a unified front. Kick back and relax in the suburbs, making friends with anyone you meet."

"The suburbs?" Chuck asked.

"For this next mission, the two of you are going to be married." Graham placed two wedding rings on his desk in front of the agents. Chuck and Sarah stared at them in disbelief.

"I'm sorry, what?" Sarah spoke first. "Married?"

"I'm with Agent Walker." Chuck agreed. "What? Why can't we do our own separate thing? That's how we work best."

"You can't argue your way out of this one, Charles." Graham stated. "This goes over my head. You two are thought stronger together for this one."

"So what? We move in to a small neighborhood with a dog and expect people to think we're actually together?" Sarah's pessimistic attitude shone through her words. "In case no one has noticed, we loathe each other."

"You'll have to do some major spy work then, won't you?" Graham smirked at her.

"Won't people find us a little creepy? I mean, we do have to look around this school that The Circle is recruiting from." Chuck said.

"Actually, that brings up my second point of discussion." He clicked a button on his office phone. "Send them in." The door behind the two agents opened, causing them to whirl around. Standing in the doorway were two teenagers, resembling certain similarities of Chuck and Sarah. The boy had sandy blonde hair, and blue eyes. He stood at about five foot ten, lanky and somewhat awkward. The girl was clearly filled with a giant ego. Her light brown hair was pulled back into a curly brown ponytail. She was nearly five foot eight, but she held herself higher than she was. Her brown eyes were warm, but there seemed to be no light behind them.

"You've got to be joking." Sarah growled.

"Chuck, Sarah, meet Agent's Crawford and Hall." Graham said enthusiastically. "They're going to be your children."

"We aren't old enough to have teenagers." Sarah scoffed.

"You're thirty-three, Walker. These two are fifteen. The math puts you at about eighteen when you had them, which isn't uncommon these days." He replied. "I'm sure your neighbors will believe it."

"Are they supposed to be twins?" Sarah asked. "They look nothing alike, no one is going to believe this."

"Fraternal twins don't normally look alike." Agent Hall retorted. "Crawford and I have been hand picked because we have the highest scores at The Academy. My artillery precision is beyond anything they've ever seen, and Crawford can talk his way out of any situation. He can make people believe we're related."

"Mouthy," Sarah turned back around to face Graham, "Just what I need."

"When do we roll out?" Chuck asked, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Effective immediately." Graham nodded. "There's a Circle Agent thought to be living in your neighborhood. We want you to spend the first few days getting to know the people around you, and getting familiar with each other as a family. The children will be joining the private school, and hopefully they'll be recruited."

"Mission accepted." Agent Crawford smiled excitedly. He seemed overly keen to start the mission at hand. The four agents left the room, making their way to the airport for their flight.

"So, are you two new?" Chuck asked the teens.

"We've been at The Academy together for a year now." Agent Hall said confidently. "I've already beat most of Agent Walker's scores." She added.

"What're your names?" Sarah asked, ignoring the boastful nature of the girl.

"Agency or real?" Crawford asked.

"Never tell anyone your real name." Sarah snapped. "That's the first thing they teach you."

"Right, sorry." He looked down, embarrassed.

"Agent Harper Hall." The girl stuck her hand out, disappointed when Sarah didn't shake it. Sarah Walker was a legend. Recruited at the age of seventeen, setting every record within her first few months at The Academy. Harper had read every report on every mission the senior agent had completed.

"And I'm Ethan Crawford." The boy knew better than to try the same thing.

"By the looks of these passports, we're going by Carmichael." Chuck looked at his ID.

"Great." Sarah grumbled. "And we're flying coach."

"You expect a middle class family of four to be flying first class?" Chuck scoffed. "We have to start blending in now."

"Don't you two hate each other?" Harper asked. "You've been fighting for the same missions since 2007."

"Yes." Chuck and Sarah said at the same time.

"This is going to be fun." Ethan joked. The other three shot him a look all at once, causing him to shut up. The plane ride was spent in silence, unlike that of a normal family. They had a lot of work to do, and not a whole lot of time to do it.

* * *

**Belgrade, Serbia - Yesterday**

Sarah Walker enjoyed sleeping in more than any other agent in the CIA. When she finished a tough mission, she liked to get as many hours under her belt as possible, and Director Graham knew it. He always did his best not to contact her too early in the morning after a mission like this one.

"Ah, Walker, good to see you awake." He had tapped into the feed on her laptop, finding her packing.

"Yes, sir, I'm about to make my way back to Langely." She nodded, shoving a jacket into her suitcase.

"Good, because I have your next mission waiting for you." He replied.

"Already?" She asked. "I just figured you'd need me to do the paperwork for this mission first." She tried covering her disappointment.

"What? You don't want it?" Graham asked. "It's going to be the biggest mission of your entire career."

"Of course I want it, I just like doing things by the book. I'll be there soon." She waited until Graham ended the feed, packing the rest of her things and exiting her hotel. Leaving was her least favorite part. Every time she visited a new country, she wanted to stay and really _see _it. But the life of a spy always kept that dream from happening. Her driver picked her up a few minutes early, which irritated her even more. On the drive to the airport, she gazed out the window longingly. So much scenery that she would never get to truly enjoy. Her jet had her back in Washington before she knew it.

"Welcome back, Agent Walker." Graham said as she entered his office. Everything was always so neat in the room. "Would you like something to drink?"

"No thank you, sir, I'd really just like my next assignment." She sat down in one of the chairs in front of his desk. "If it's going to be the greatest mission of my career, I want to start right away."

"Patience, Sarah, you'll get your next mission. We're waiting for someone."

"What kind of mission is it?"

"One you've never been on before." He smirked.

"I heard that agent Carmichael took out Anatoly Petrov." She switched the subject.

"That he did." Graham nodded.

"That mission was supposed to be mine." She growled. "I've been tracking him for years."

"And you took Carmichael's long sought after mark. I need you two need to ease up on the competition." He warned. "It's starting to get old."

"A little competition never hurt anyone." She sassed. "Besides, I'm going to pass him one of these days. I need the mission of a lifetime."

"That's why you're the perfect agent for the job." He nodded. "But, for this mission, you won't be working alone."

"I finally get an asset?" Her eyes lit up.

"You're getting a partner."

"I'm sorry?"

"You can't work alone on this one, Walker."

"Why not?"

"It's far too dangerous, and you need a solid cover."

"Sir, I can handle myself in any situation." She argued.

"You may think so, but that's what will get you killed. This is how it's going to be." After the last word left his mouth, the door behind Sarah opened, and Agent Charles Carmichael entered.

"Carmichael, how good of you to join us."

* * *

**Burbank, California - 2015**

The four agents arrived at Bob Hope airport early enough in the day to get settled in. They were placed in a three bedroom house in a fairly large neighborhood, just a ten minute drive from the Hollywood Bowl. The exterior of the house was a cement gray, while the inside had much warmer tones. The kitchen was a butter yellow, and the bedrooms were all painted a light orange.

"We can paint over this, right?" Harper asked.

"I hope so." Sarah echoed her tone. "Looks like we get the master down the hall." She looked to Chuck.

"Please tell me they gave us separate beds."

"Nope."

"Fantastic."

"Hey, my room is pretty sweet." Ethan called from the room to the right of the main staircase. "It's got an XBOX."

"We aren't here to play video games, idiot. We have a mission." Harper rolled her eyes.

"Hey, be nice to your brother." Chuck said. "We have to start acting like a family now." He moved into the master bedroom, unpacking the suitcase he brought with him. Although the CIA had stocked his closet and dresser full of clothes, there were some personal things he always brought with him.

"Don't worry, I won't look through any of it." Sarah entered the room, watching him search for a hiding spot.

"Like I trust you." He glared.

"You're going to have to." She replied. "If we want this mission to go smoothly, we need to think like partners."

"You're kidding, right?"

"I wish I was."

"Hey, there's someone at the front door." Harper gave their doorframe two knocks, not waiting for a reply before entering.

"You get a good look?" Sarah asked, cocking her gun.

"No, but I think it's just a neighbor." Harper replied, following the blonde down the stairs. Sarah placed her gun in the small of her back, before opening the door with a wide smile.

"Hi." Her voice was higher than usual.

"Hello there." A red head greeted her from the other side. "I wanted to be the first to say welcome to the neighborhood. I was washing my dishes and I saw the moving van through the window." The woman smiled widely.

"How nice of you." Sarah kept up the act. "I usually just make the kids do the dishes." She forced out a laugh.

"My daughter and I baked these fresh today." The woman handed Sarah a plate of cookies. "They're snickerdoodle."

"Those are our favorite." Sarah looked to Harper. "This is my daughter, Harper."

"Nice to meet you, ma'am." Harper stuck out her hand.

"Oh please, call me Cindy." She shook Harper's hand daintily. "Is it just the two of you?"

"No, my husband and son are upstairs. They like to unpack before us." Sarah laughed.

"Well how about you all come over for dinner tonight?" Cindy asked. "We're right across the street, there." She pointed to the house directly in front of the Carmichael's, across the street.

"That sounds lovely."

"Okie dokie!" Cindy clapped. "I hope you all like steak."

"Oh we do." Harper replied with a sickly sweet tone.

"We'll see you soon, then. Bye bye!" Cindy left, and Sarah shut the door as quickly as possible.

"Do we seriously have to go over there and eat with those people?" Harper whined. "She creeps me out."

"It's our mission." Sarah shrugged. "We can sweep their house while we're there."

"Was she clean?" Chuck came down the main staircase.

"I didn't catch anything threatening." Sarah said. "But we'll know more tonight. I guess getting to know the neighbors is going to be easier than we thought."

"Did I hear something about steak?" Ethan came bounding down the stairs, dressed in a nice sweater and jeans.

"What are you wearing?" Harper gave him a funny look.

"I'm not going to someone else's house for dinner looking like a slob." He retorted.

"Crawford is right. We should look presentable. The poster family for the suburbs." Chuck nodded.

"Good thinking, Crawford." Sarah nodded. "We need to make sure we go over our covers very carefully before we go over there tonight. If we don't have everything down to the tee, we're going to be figured out."

"Alright, we'll change and meet back down here in fifteen." Chuck agreed.

"Great. My worst nightmare." Harper groaned, heading up the stairs to change. The night had only just begun, and they were already the most awkward family in the history of the world.


	2. Neighborhood Soiree

**A/N: I kinda like revisiting this one. It's fun to have them both in the same boat, trying to be better than the other. I'm going to through some childhood backstory in there for both of them, and the new characters I've written. I've just got to figure out what I want it to be! Thank you for coming back to this story with me. It's only new chapters from here on out!**

**-Charahfan44**

* * *

**Burbank, California - 2015**

Dinner with the Reynolds family was coming up fast, and the Carmichael's were still going over the covers they had been given. The younger agents seemed to have everything down pat.

"So, both of got into the private school for different reasons." Crawford was going everything in his head. "I had wicked test scores, and Hall runs a crazy fast mile."

"Do kids even get into schools for track?" Harper rolled her eyes. "Why couldn't I do soccer or something?"

"I'm sure you joining another team won't be out of the question." Chuck assured her. "They look for the obvious candidates from what we can tell. They'll be looking for an athletic agent."

"Make sure you keep your test scores as accurate as possible." Sarah looked to Ethan. "They'll be looking at you just as much as her."

"Tests are easy." He smirked. "That's what got me into The Academy in the first place." He didn't hold back his boastful comments. After making a fool of himself in front of the superior agents in Director Graham's office, he needed to show off a bit.

"It's crazy that there's any room in that tiny head of yours for so much information." Harper mumbled.

"I don't have a tiny head." He frowned.

"You totally do. It's just hidden by all that hair." Harper giggled.

"Knock it off." Sarah warned. "If Agent Carmichael and I have to get along, so do the two of you."

"Sorry." Harper looked down. "Let's focus on getting this mission done fast. I'd rather not be stuck here forever."

"As travel agents, we wouldn't be staying in the same place very long anyway." Chuck agreed. "They really chose the perfect cover for us." He looked at his new partner.

"We'll see who gets the longer client list." Sarah winked, before checking her watch. "We should be leaving. As for the mission, we need to sweep their house for any sort of bug or equipment tying them to The Circle." Sarah stated. "We need to be able to justify why we're looking."

"Bathroom breaks will be our friend." Chuck added.

"We can make friends with the kids, ask to see their rooms?" Harper suggested.

"Good idea." The blonde agent replied. Harper took pride in this, sitting up slightly. She liked getting praise from Agent Walker. It satisfied her need to be the best.

"I'm sure they have a daughter. I could always form a different kind of connection." Ethan suggested. "My seduction scores were pretty good."

"I think for now we should stick with Agent Hall's idea." Chuck responded. "Anything too complicated could trip us up in ways that we wouldn't want."

"Alright, we should head over." Sarah stood up, the rest of the agents following suit. They made their way to the Reynolds' in a timely manner, as a regular family would. They were a few minutes late, trying not to seem too eager.

"Well hello there." Cindy opened the door, her husband and two children with her. "This is Steve, my husband."

"Howdy." He waved slightly.

"And these are my children, Rachel and Steve Junior." She pointed to her kids.

"What's up." Ethan gave a nod at the kids. He was trying to play the part of the cool kid.

"Pleasure to meet you." Harper said, giving Ethan a look.

"Please, come on in." Cindy gestured inside. The Carmichael's entered with gratitude, looking around carefully.

"What a lovely place you have here." Sarah smiled. "I love the artwork."

"Oh yes, we get those specially painted for us in Somalia." Steven said. Chuck and Sarah exchanged looks. Somalia was a pretty obscure country to be receiving artwork from. Maybe a code?

"We have a lovely dinner set out. Let's eat, shall we?" The eight of them made their way into the dining room. The walls were a warm brown sugar tone, and the table was spectacular. Specific place settings were underneath beautiful china. The chandelier above the table made everything seem extraordinarily perfect.

"What do you guys do for a living?" Chuck asked, noticing the intricacy of their home.

"I have a little bakery in town, and Steven here works for the government." Cindy said, sitting at the head of the table. "He designs planes and things." Chuck and Sarah shared another look.

"That sounds exciting." Sarah said.

"It can be boring." Steven replied. "Long hours and too much math." He laughed.

"What about you two?" Cindy asked.

"We're travel agents." Chuck smiled. "We moved out here mostly for the children."

"Oh really?"

"Both of us were accepted into St. John's Academy." Harper smiled.

"That's where Rachel and Steve Jr. are attending, as well." Cindy clapped. "They would love to show you around on Monday!"

"Sure would." Steve Jr. looked to Harper. "Maybe we'll have the same classes."

"Ethan is in the pre-college classes." Sarah bragged. "Our boy has such a big brain."

"Stevie here is too." Steve Sr. matched her arrogant nature. "He has the highest test scores in the country."

"The country, huh?" Chuck smiled. "That's an incredible accomplishment."

"It's really nothing." Steve Jr. turned red. "Tests are a cinch. Organic Chemistry and Quantum Physics give me a bit of a headache though." He laughed, causing his family to laugh in tandem. The Carmichael's followed suit.

"What about you, young lady?" Steve looked to Harper. "I bet brains run in the family."

"You could say I'm the black sheep in the family." She shrugged. "I run track."

"This keeps getting funnier and funnier!" Cindy exclaimed. "Rachel holds most of the records at St. John's."

"You don't say." Harper looked to the girl. "Well, I'll be looking to break those." Sarah gave her fake daughter a soft kick under the table, followed by a stern look.

"It's been a while since I've had decent competition." Rachel responded with a smug expression. "I'm looking forward to it."

"Do you partake in any other sports?" Steve Sr. asked.

"Just a few." Harper tried staying modest after her slip up. "The big three of course, soccer, basketball, and track. I've dabbled in swimming and tennis. And at our last school I was in the top five ranking for archery."

"That's quite a list." Cindy nodded. The table grew silent for a few moments, the sounds of metal clanking against glass becoming prominent. Chuck looked at the other family between bites, trying to catch any signals.

"Do you guys have a bathroom?" Chuck asked. If they were agents of The Circle, they were trained exceptionally.

"Yes, we do. Down the hall to the right." Steve answered.

"Thanks." He nodded, giving Sarah a slight look before getting up from the table. Her eyes followed him out of the room, knowing she needed to keep the Reynolds' sitting at the table.

"So, tell us some more about your life here." She smiled.

* * *

**Burbank, California - 2015**

Dinner was as uneventful as any of the Carmicahel's could've hoped. They didn't want to get into any trouble right off the bat. The senior agents weren't sure how they were going to get any sleep while in the same bed, but both knew it was needed. They each changed in the master bathroom separately, Sarah taking a longer time on purpose. Before settling down for the night, they updated Director Graham. Each device in the house was tapped into the CIA's mainframe, making communication easy. Chuck clicked the television on in the master bedroom, Graham's face popping up onto the screen.

"Carmichael. Good." Graham nodded. "How'd the sweep go?"

"He didn't find anything." Sarah said flatly.

"I may have detected a faint signal coming from their attic, but I didn't have time to check it out." He shot back at the blonde. "It's not like anyone else did a solid sweep."

"Sure, we all should've, and then the Reynolds' definitely would've made us." Sarah argued.

"That's why we came up with a plan before we went over there. Yet, I'm the only one who followed through with it." Chuck retorted.

"I see you two haven't worked out your differences yet." Graham glared, interrupting the banter. "I hope you didn't give your neighbors any reason to suspect you aren't actually a couple."

"We were professional at dinner, sir." Chuck stated.

"I've set up a craft day with Mrs. Reynolds, and I'll check when I'm there." Sarah said proudly, changing the subject. "I'll do my own sweep of the house when I go over."

"Good thinking, walker." Graham replied. "Make sure you're getting close to the other families in the neighborhood as well."

"I'm sure she will." Chuck said slyly.

"What does that mean?" Sarah asked.

"Stick to the mission, you two. I'll check in a few days from now and see where you're at." Graham clicked the signal off, and disappeared.

"What was that?" Sarah asked.

"You basically told him I failed the mission." Chuck retorted.

"No, I didn't. I told him you didn't find anything, which you didn't."

"It's the way you said it."

"Would you stop being such a girl?"

"Guys!" Ethan's voice interrupted their arguing. "Would you quit it? The whole neighborhood can hear you."

"Sorry." They said in unison.

"Anyway, I have something you should check out." He led them into his room, slightly pulling back his blinds. "Look." He shoved a pair of binoculars in Chuck's face, pointing him in the direction of the neighbors to the east. The father was putting a heavy bag into the shed, while his son buried something on the side.

"What's in the bag?" Chuck asked.

"I have no idea. I was scoping out the locals, and I saw that. I came and got you guys right when I saw them."

"Let me look." Sarah said, taking the binoculars from Chuck. "Whatever it is, it's heavy."

"Could be weapons." Chuck shrugged.

"Before we jump to any conclusions, let's look them up." Sarah rolled her eyes.

"I already did." Ethan sat at his computer, pulling up the CIA mainframe. "They're the Moore's. They've lived there for ten years, and none of them have any criminal records."

"None?" Sarah asked.

"That's what he said." Chuck answered, causing her to shoot him a look.

"I think their records are too clean." Ethan frowned. "Not even a driving ticket."

"Looks like we have our next dinner." Sarah sighed.

"David, the son, goes to the school Agent Hall and I are enrolled in." Ethan said. "I'll get him to trust me, and I'm sure I'll be over there in no time."

"Good thinking." Chuck clapped him on the back. "Start on it tomorrow."

"I will."

"Lights out in twenty." Sarah started towards the door.

"Yes ma'am." Ethan nodded.

"Goodnight." Chuck said, following behind Sarah. They made their way to Harper's room, noticing the lights already out. They decided not to bother her, as she was probably already asleep.

"I could've swept the attic." Sarah admitted, getting into bed beside her partner. "Just saying."

"I would've done the same thing you did." Chuck reassured her. "We can't give ourselves away, this mission is too valuable."

"So don't get caught." She scoffed, returning to her sassy nature.

"Says you." He retorted, following suit. "I think we both know who screwed up in Budapest."

"Are you bringing that up _again_?"

"I'll bring it up for the rest of our lives if that's what gets under your skin." He sassed. "We're supposed to have each other's backs here." They slid under the covers at the same time, angrily fluffing the pillows and sheets.

"I wouldn't have gotten caught if you hadn't showed up." After a few moments of silence, Sarah was the first to speak.

"What are you talking about? It was my mission!" He yelled. "They sent you without warning, and you ruined everything!"

"I got it done!"

"That's what you call getting it done?"

"I can't stand you." She turned on her side, facing away from Chuck.

"Ditto." He did the same, turning out the light. He knew this was going to be the most exhausting mission he had ever been on, and not because of the tracking. His partner was also his nemesis within the agency, and they had a long way to go.

* * *

**Budapest, Hungary - 2007**

_Charles Carmichael was always on point. In the five years he had been graduated from The Academy, he had become the top agent in the CIA. Director Graham always sent him on the toughest and most dangerous missions around the world. His target this time was Andor Batori, the leader of a smuggling ring. He had been following the perpetrator for weeks, tracking him down to a hotel in the capital of Hungary._

_"Carmichael, do you copy?" He heard Director Graham's voice in his ear._

_"What is it?" He snapped, irritated that Graham decided to reach him now. He was laying flat on his stomach, forty stories above the ground, looking into Batori's window through the scope of his sniper rifle._

_"We have a slight hiccup." Graham replied._

_"Why? I've got Batori in my line of sight right now, it won't take me more than an hour to apprehend him."_

_"It seems as though the agency sent in another assassin." Graham stated. "They thought you would've had it done by now, so they sent you some back up."_

_"Back up? When have I ever needed back up?" Chuck asked. "We have to be careful with this capture, I can't just go in there guns blazing." He tried defending himself._

_"The CIA expected Batori to be apprehended a few hours ago. They were getting impatient, and this agent's handler decided it was time for her to take the training wheels off. She's working alone now."_

_"And she was sent here, to ruin my mission?" He scoffed. "I'll have Batori in CIA custody before she can even figure out his location."_

_"That's the thing, she already has." Graham replied. Chuck used his binoculars to look closer into the room. A strikingly beautiful blonde was using her powers of seduction to get Batori under her spell. _

_"Oh come on." Chuck groaned. He clicked his watch, ending the conversation. Being extremely careful, he inched his way back down the roof, landing on the balcony of his suite. He made sure to pack a few extra weapons, and made his way to the smuggler's hotel. He made quick work of a bellhop, exchanging his clothes, and grabbing a tray of food. Within a few minutes, he was knocking on the door._

_"Who is it?" Batori called, obviously infatuated._

_"Complimentary room service." Chuck said back._

_"Ah, some champagne." Batori opened the door with a smile. "Perfect."_

_"We made sure to bring you the best." Chuck nodded, casing the room with his eyes._

_"Actually, I think we're fine." The blonde appeared before him, nothing on but a silk robe. "Thanks, though." She smirked, knowing exactly who he was._

_"My manager wanted to make sure I delivered it." Chuck replied._

_"Tell him it wasn't needed."_

_"I'm afraid I'd be fired."_

_"So sad." She walked towards Batori. "Let's get back to our little rendezvous."_

_"Yes, you heard the lady, out." He flicked his hand in annoyance, his hungry eyes focusing on the blonde once more._

_"I thought I was going to do this the easy way." Chuck pulled out a tranquilizer gun, shooting Batori twice in the neck._

_"Are you kidding me? I had him!" The blonde yelled._

_"Obviously." Chuck started towards Batori's unconcious body._

_"I don't think so." The agent cocked her gun, standing over the burly Hungarian. "He's mine."_

_"You're new here, so let me straighten this out for you, sweetheart. I'm the top agent in the CIA, and Director Graham sent me here himself. I was here first, and I'm not leaving without Batori."_

_"Oh I'm sorry muffin, did I take your toy?" She asked playfully._

_"This isn't a joke." He demanded. "This guy is a major-"_

_"Drug smuggler, arms dealer, blah blah blah." She rolled her eyes. "I don't really like your condescending attitude. You weren't getting it done fast enough, so they sent some fresh eyes."_

_"You're forgetting something."_

_"What's that?"_

_"The agency didn't send you, your handler did. Up until today, you were still being babysat. What makes you think you can take on Andor Batori?" Chuck raised an eyebrow in confidence._

_"I got to him first, didn't I?" She folded her arms._

_"Fine, if you're so capable, you take care of it." Chuck put his gun behind his back, turning to leave the room. He knew that a man of Batori's size would need multiple doses of tranquilizer to stay down. This new agent wouldn't be able to carry him, let alone realize he'd be waking up soon._

_"That's it?"_

_"You said you could handle it." Chuck smirked._

_"Fine." She glared at him. "I'll figure it out." _

_"Can I stay and watch? I think I'll stay and watch." Chuck let out a laugh._

_"You think you're so smart." She sent him a look that made him shiver._

_"I am the best agent in the CIA." Chuck watched as his fellow agent struggled to move the unconscious body. The guy was nearly three-hundred pounds, and there was no way a woman of her size would be able to move him on her own. After a half hour of standing in the doorway watching her struggle, he decided to help her out. "Okay, I can't watch this anymore." He laughed, making his way over to help her._

_"No way." She looked at him. "I can do this on my own."_

_"He hasn't moved an inch in a half hour, aren't you tired?" _

_"Men don't tire me out very easily." She replied with confidence. Her response caused Chuck to pause. _

_"I'll take his arms, you grab his legs." He ignored her ego. _

_"I said I got it."_

_"You've got to be kidding me." Chuck rolled his eyes. "I've been watching you struggle for almost an hour now."_

_"I have a plan." She stopped trying to lift Batori. _

_"Oh, you do?"_

_"Why are you so smug?" She asked. "It's really starting to piss me off."_

_"You started pissing me off the second you stole my mission." Chuck replied. "And quite frankly, I'm done watching you fail. Pay attention and see how a real spy gets it done." He moved towards Batori, only to meet a fist to the face._

_"You'll have to get through me." Sarah smirked. _

_"That should be easy." Chuck spit the blood out of his mouth, retaliating with a kick to Sarah's stomach. She landed on the bed, bouncing up as quickly as she had gone down. Her roundhouse landed Chuck square in the jaw. They fought in the middle of the room, throwing punches and trying their hardest to keep the other one down. _

_"Wait, stop!" Chuck stopped her incoming punch. "Where did Batori go?"_

_"What?" She looked around, noticing the absence of the target. "You tranqued him twice, how is he gone?"_

_"Two isn't enough to keep a three-hundred pound Hungarian down." Chuck said matter-of-factly._

_"You knew he was going to get up?" Sarah asked._

_"You didn't?" __He rolled his eyes. "That's what happens when they send a baby agent. Now we're screwed."_

_"Graham will know the truth."_

_"Yeah, that you let him get away."_

_"You know what?"_

_"What?"_

_"I'm going to be better than you ever were. Just wait and see, I'll be taking your missions in no time." She gave Chuck one last glare before turning around to leave. "Keep your ears open, Sarah Walker will be a name you can't escape." With that, she was gone. Chuck had just met his match, and he was interested._


	3. New School, No Problem

**A/N: Hello, everyone! I'm so sorry this one has taken me so long to get out. Honestly, I've had 98% of it written for a few months now. Something always seems to hold me back from writing, and I can never figure it out. I'm working on it though, I promise! Especially during this quarantine time where I have nothing else to do. I hope everyone is staying safe out there.**

**I wanted to give a shout out to my very first Beta, Mr. David Carner! If you haven't read any of his stories, you need to go do so RIGHT NOW. I have so much to learn about writing, and he's a huge inspiration of mine. It's funny how one show can lead you to so many incredible people. I have so many friends on Twitter that I met through Chuck, and I've even met a few in real life!**

**I started writing FanFiction when I was sixteen. How crazy is that? I've gone through college and high school, and I'm still here writing. I've always enjoyed dabbling in the lives of our favorite Chuck characters. I can only imagine how Schwedak felt writing them for so long.**

**Anyway, here's the latest chapter! I'm hoping to get one chapter a week out to you guys still following the story. Thank you so much for sticking around, I'm sorry that I'm bad with updating. I hope you enjoy this new installment!**

**-Charahfan44**

* * *

**Burbank, California **

Charles Carmichael was a name that most international terrorists feared. He had stopped so many of them before they were able to complete their common goals of world domination. The only person in the world who wasn't afraid of his capabilities? The woman sleeping next to him. Chuck blinked his eyes open, momentarily forgetting where he was. He did everything he could at night to wipe his mind clean and sleep with a clear head. For some reason, he knew exactly who the body next to him was, before even opening his eyes. He turned his head slightly, making sure she didn't have a knife to his throat.

"Relax, Carmichael." The blonde mumbled. "I won't try to kill you until the mission's over." The last part was followed by a soft chuckle.

"You're funny?" Chuck asked. "That's new."

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me." She replied, rubbing her eyes.

"Hall and Crawford have their first day at St. John's today. Do you honestly think they're capable of stone cold espionage?"

"I think they're trained to do what they need to do." Sarah sat up. "I don't know that I'd say stone cold espionage."

"Right." Chuck looked at the ceiling. "Should we debrief them?"

"Director Graham already did." Agent Hall's voice sounded from the doorway. "And he wants to update the two of you before you get your assignment."

"Does anyone else smell bacon?" Sarah frowned.

"Crawford woke up early to make breakfast." Harper rolled her eyes. "He loves to suck up. It's so annoying."

"I think it's going to work in his favor." Chuck smiled. "Maybe you should take a few lessons."

"Please." Harper replied. "I'm here to do my job, not feed into this delusional cover we've been given. Besides, I don't need to suck up. I'm already the best The Academy has ever seen." She added the last part with a glance at Sarah.

"We've got a lot of work to do with that one." Chuck sighed.

"Why?" Sarah asked, getting out of bed. "She's right. We're here to do a job, and that's what we need to focus on."

"Yes, but what happens when she gets too cocky and slips up?" He raised a brow.

"She won't."

"How do you know that?"

"Because she's exactly like me, Chuck. We don't slip up." Sarah shot him a smirk, making her way out of the room and down the stairs to the kitchen. The staircase was made of a glossed mahogany, the carpet a cream color. They all made the decision to act as a family who left their shoes at the door, wanting to keep the carpet in pristine shape. Chuck followed behind his cover wife, not realizing he was checking her out along the way.

"Keep your eyes in your head, Carmichael." Harper laughed quietly, giving him a small nudge.

"I wasn't looking." Chuck scoffed.

"Okay." Harper rolled her eyes. "If you say so." The three of them entered the kitchen, watching as Crawford expertly flipped a pancake. Chuck and Sarah seemed more than impressed, as Harper folded her arms and watched with an attitude.

"Oh, you guys are finally awake!" Ethan said with a smile. "I put some plates on the table already." He looked to the dining room, where place settings had already been laid out. The light blue china matched the cups placed in front of them. The table was a dark colored wood, that matched the stairs.

"Crawford, this looks amazing." Sarah praised. "Most kids wouldn't do this for their parents."

"Thank you." He nodded. "I've always kind of enjoyed cooking. My mom and I-"

"I don't think we should divulge any personal information." Chuck coughed. "You know, for safety."

"Oh. Right." The teen looked down at the pan he was holding. "Sorry." Harper couldn't help but smile. Ethan kept messing up in front of the senior agents, and she was loving it. She felt Sarah look at her, and wiped the smile from her face.

"Maybe we should go over your mission?" Chuck grabbed a plate, loaded it up, and sat down at the table.

"I know the mission." Harper said. "We just have to establish ourselves. Make the Dean think we're good candidates for The Circle."

"There's more to it than that, Hall." Sarah replied. "You need to make some friends, gain their trust."

"You expect us to make friends on the first day?" Ethan asked.

"I can do it, no problem." Harper shot him a look. Was he trying to look like a noob on purpose?

"We trust you two to do the work here." Chuck said between bites. "We don't have the advantage that you do."

"We'll get it done, Carmichael." Harper nodded. She looked to Sarah, who was staring down at her breakfast.

"Alright, then we should get ready."

* * *

**St. John's Preparatory School **

The halls of the school were bustling with students, all wearing the same maroon outfits. The boys were in maroon blazers with white undershirts, black ties, and khaki pants with black dress shoes. The girls had the same type of maroon blazer, but without the chest pockets. Their undershirts were more fitted, the ties skinny. The outfit was completed with a maroon/white/yellow skirt, knee-high white socks, and black heels.

"I am not wearing that." Harper growled, looking at her fellow agent.

"You don't have a choice." Sarah warned. "If we want this mission to succeed, you'll do exactly what they expect of you."

"Fine."

"I think uniforms are a great idea." Ethan quipped. "That way, there won't be any power struggles with the style factor."

"Yeah, just with the ego factor." Harper replied. The three made their way to the Dean's office, which was located down the main hallway of the school, to the left of the entrance. Sarah made sure to wear the preppiest of outfits, her hair tucked back into a neat bun. Her light pink cardigan had been pressed, along with her navy skirt. A white and blue plaid shirt was neatly tucked into the skirt, the collar under the neckline of the cardigan.

"Ah, you must be the Carmichael twins." The receptionist in the foyer area looked at the three agents as they entered. "Dean Ralston is expecting you." She clapped her hands together happily.

"We're very eager to meet her." Harper nodded with a smile.

"I've read so much about her." Ethan added. Harper shot him a look. They didn't want to seem too suspicious.

"My children are very education oriented." Sarah covered. "Their father and I were as well." She spoke with a certain eloquence that made the hair on Harper's arms raise. She knew exactly how to manipulate someone, and it was intimidating.

"It's nice to see the faces behind the impressive transcripts." A tall brunette woman standing at about 6'1" emerged from the doorway to their left. Her features were anything but delicate. A prominent nose stood out over her tight-lipped mouth. Her olive skin made her dark brown eyes seem almost black.

"You must be Dean Ralston." Sarah wasted no time, reaching for a handshake.

"That would be me." Dean Ralston replied with a smile that looked more like a grimace. Ethan and Harper exchanged looks. This had to be the head of The Circle's recruiting operations. They couldn't have imagined anyone scarier running the school. "Let's talk in my office, shall we?"

"You're very accomplished." Harper looked around the office, noticing degrees and trophies along the walls.

"Awards mean nothing." The Dean sat behind her desk. "It's the work you put into them."

"We work very hard, ma'am." Ethan took a seat in one of the chairs facing the desk.

"I can see that you do, Mr. Carmichael. Your test scores are absolutely astonishing." She nodded toward the teen. "Your sister however…" She trailed.

"I thought my scores were average." Harper replied, causing Sarah to nudge her slightly.

"They were, Ms. Carmichael. But here at St. John's, we expect far more than average." She warned. "We decided to give you a chance to grow here with us, but if your scores haven't approved significantly by Fall Quarter, you will be expelled."

"Doesn't that seem at bit harsh, ma'am?" Sarah asked. "Wouldn't a slight increase in her test scores suffice?"

"Mrs. Carmichael, we pride ourselves on championing the best of the best." She replied. "Not the mediocre."

"I can assure you my daughter is anything but mediocre." Sarah's voice toughened. "What she lacks in written tests, she more than makes up for in the physical ones. Until you've watched her run a forty meter dash in under twenty seconds, you can't say anything against her abilities." Harper sat there in shock, listening to her mentor vouch for her. Where was this coming from? Was she making an impact in Sarah's eyes?

"We'll have to see, won't we?" Dean Ralston picked up a pen, and started writing something on a piece of paper. "The two of you will report to the Assistant Dean's office down the hall. He will have your uniforms ready to go. We expect you to change and get to your classes in a timely manner."

"Where do we find our class schedule?" Ethan asked.

"Assistant Dean Weathers will have your assignments as well." She didn't look up from her paper. "Good day to all of you." With that, the trio left the office. Ethan waited until they were in the hallway again to speak.

"Yeesh, she gave me the heeby-jeebies." He faked a shudder. "Did you see her eyes?"

"She had an award for shooting on the book case behind her desk. Excellent marksmanship." Harper stated. "She has to be the head of recruiting, it would make perfect sense."

"Don't jump to conclusions, Hall." Sarah warned. "We really need to work on improving your test scores or else Crawford will have to do all of the recon on his own."

"Thank you for sticking up for me in there." Harper said, looking down. "I didn't realize you knew about my academy scores."

"They were in your file." Sarah retorted. "And as for what I said, any over-protective parent would've done that. We're here to do a job, not make friends." Ouch. Ethan watched as Harper gave a slight wince. He knew she wanted Agent Walker's attention and praise more than she wanted to nail The Circle.

"She really does have incredible physical test scores." Ethan chimed in. "Everyone at The Academy was envious of her."

"Be that as it may, they aren't looking for anything other than your brain capacity. Fix it." She replied, looking at the female rookie agent.

"We better get going." Ethan saved Harper from further embarrassment. "Will you or Chuck be picking us up later?"

"I don't know yet, we have some recon of our own to do." Sarah started walking away. "Make some friends!" She called, before disappearing outside of the building.

"You didn't have to say all of that." Harper looked to Ethan. "But, thank you."

"That's what good brother's do." He gave her a clap on the back. "We better go get our uniforms before we get into trouble."

"I can't believe I have to wear those ugly things." Harper grumbled, following Ethan to Assistant Dean Weathers' office.

"It could be worse." He shrugged.

"How so?"

"We could have to pretend to be in love with our enemy." He laughed, clearly directing the comment at the superior agents on the mission.

"True." Harper laughed back. "I wonder how long it'll take them to kill each other."

* * *

**Downtown Burbank, California **

Chuck had made his way to the CIA-owned building long before his partner. He figured it would be best if she made nice with the staff at the school. He was good with other people, but he knew Agent Walker was better. The Agency had bought out a vacant building, turning it into the perfect travel agency office. They had already brought desks, computers, and maps into the office. A giant mural of the world was painted on the far wall, a few plants surrounding the desks.

"They really put a lot of thought into it, didn't they?" Sarah came in behind him.

"What are you wearing?" Chuck laughed. He was only used to seeing her in badass provocative ensembles.

"What? You wanted me to show up at our kids' new school in my catsuit?" She retorted. "I'm sure the Dean would've really appreciated that."

"Is he a guy?"

"No." She gave him a playful punch in the arm. "She's actually kind of a bitch."

"Really?" Chuck asked.

"Especially toward Hall." She nodded. "Maybe she doesn't like girls, I don't know. She's got a lot of marksman awards and degrees for English and Psychology."

"A killer with interrogation abilities?"

"Possibly." She said. "I've got Hall and Crawford working on it."

"Does the school have any parental mixers?"

"I'll make sure the kids keep an eye out for any notices." She replied. "But for now, we should stick to our orders."

"Right." Chuck nodded, moving to the break room in the back of the building. A small button on the very bottom corner of the soda machine opened a doorway to a secret base. "Thank God for military technology, am I right?"

"Just go." Sarah shook her head before following him into the base. The metal door behind the soda machine was bolted, and showed no signs of opening unless provided with an authorized hand print on the pad to the left. Chuck placed his hand on the blinking red pad, opening the door. They made their way down two flights of metal stairs, greeted by the database mainframe screen on multiple computers. The armory was stocked with every time of artillery the agents could imagine, and each defensive equipment item known to man.

"At least we're ready for the apocalypse." Chuck joked.

"And that may be just what you encounter." Director Graham's face appeared on the largest screen in front of them. "Having fun, I see."

"No, sir. Just making light of the situation." Chuck coughed, standing at attention. "Any news?"

"We ran extensive background checks for the Moore Family." Graham stated.

"The one's Agent Crawford flagged?" Chuck asked.

"Precisely." Graham nodded. "Crawford's original search was all we got."

"So they're clean." Sarah huffed.

"Not exactly." Graham smirked. "No one is _that_ clean."

"What did you find?" Chuck looked to his new partner, then back to the screen.

"Francis Moore, the father, was tapped five years ago by the agency for running a gun smuggling operation. At that time, he was going by the name Tommy Monroe. We had some low level cops on it, but decided we wanted to go for the leader, Yuri Vogt."

"Clearly you didn't succeed." Sarah coughed.

"Tommy Monroe got away, yes, but clearly we've stumbled upon another operation." Graham warned. "We believe he's in with The Circle, supplying them with weapons."

"Don't you think he's going to be guarded?" Sarah asked. "New people moving in trying to befriend them?"

"For all they know, you're apart of The Circle as well. Don't try too hard to make friends, just keep to yourselves and let others come to you. Watch them, when they leave the house, that's when you move in." Graham nodded.

"What should we do in the meantime?" Chuck asked. "We can't be around twenty-four seven, it'll cause suspicion."

"Get back to your day job, Mr. Carmichael." Graham winked before cutting his video call.

"He honestly expects us to work our cover job?" Sarah asked.

"Guess we better get to it."


End file.
